Oct. 19, 2009
The Air Force volleyball team has a busy week ahead, returning to the Academy for its final non-conference match of the season and opening the second round of league action on the road. The Falcons will host local rival Northern Colorado on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Academy's Clune Arena, before traveling to Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday, Oct. 24, for an afternoon match-up with UNLV.
Match Notes 09: vs. Northern Colorado; at UNLV 
NORTHERN COLORADO QUICK HITS
The Bears are 12-9 on the season, after splitting a pair of Big Sky Conference matches with Portland State (W, 3-1) and Eastern Washington (L, 1-3). Senior Kenzie Shreeve leads Northern Colorado with 3.26 kills-per-set, while Bree VanDerMost holds a 3.70 digs-per-game average. UNC has played extra sets in 13 of its 21, but has swept its opponents in six of the remaining eight.
UNLV QUICK HITS
The Rebels are 5-11 overall and 3-5 in Mountain West Conference action. UNLV is coming off of a split weekend on the road, falling to TCU and sweeping New Mexico. Cursty Jackson leads the Rebels with per-game averages of 3.27 kills and 1.02 blocks. With 3.23 digs-per-game, Kela Lau Hee is one of just eight players in the conference to average at least three digs per set.
HISTORY 101
Northern Colorado holds a 48-13 record over Air Force, although the two local foes haven't faced one another 2006. The Bears are 3-0 against Air Force since joining Division I in 2004. After sweeping the Falcons at the Academy on Sept. 24, UNLV is 26-2 all-time against the Falcons. The Falcons only victories over the Rebels came during the 1996 and 1999 seasons. Air Force won both contests by matching 3-1 scores.
CRACKING THE TOP 10
Junior Jessica Hellmann has accumulated 571 assists in 20 matches this season. That total is ranked 10th in the program's Division I single-season record book. She is just 37 helpers behind Kat Dehne's ninth-place total, set in 1997. She is the first Falcon to crack the top-10 list since Kim Kallabis tallied 671 during the 2007 campaign.
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS
Two Falcons recorded a career "first" during the Falcons' three-set loss to San Diego State on Oct. 17. Junior Nichole Stilwell, who only began serving four matches earlier, accounted for her first career service ace during the second set, while freshman Julianne Haun picked up her first-ever kill in the third set. Haun added another kill, connecting on two of three attempts (no errors) for an impressive .667 hitting percentage.
PUTTING ON THE DIFFERENT JERSEY
For the first time in her young career, freshman Maiya Perich wore the libero's jersey during the third set of the Falcons' match at San Diego State on Oct. 17. Perich collected three of her five digs during the final set. Perich, who has become a defensive specialist for Air Force over the first 20 matches, is ranked third on the team with 2.01 digs per game. In addition, with 22 service aces, she is just one serve shy of the team lead.
